Festival Flurry: Guides to Porkies Fest, Forest Trail, Burning Foot, Tie Dye, Havoc Fest & more

With kids heading back to school, this weekend represents a final flurry of August music festivals stretching from Grand Rapids’ Return to the River to the Upper Peninsula. We have guides to seven of them.

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR GUIDES TO SEVEN WEEKEND MUSIC FESTIVALS

It rolls out in the farthest reaches of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, but the annual Porcupine Mountains Music Festival boasts a unique atmosphere, singular performer lineup and an unparalled setting in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

“Look forward to seeing the vehicles with license plates start rolling into the area in the lead-up to the festival and our businesses bustling. It is such a boost for them, and certainly will be this year after the no-snow winter of 2023-24 which took a hard toll on our lodging and service businesses,” said festival organizer Cheryl Sundberg, noting that most of the 1,700 to 1,800 attendees come from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.

“Look forward to seeing all of the happy faces as we enjoy the festival experience together and enjoy and sustain our artists.”

Those artists — performing on two stages — range from “below the bridge” favorites such as Americana’s Roosevelt Diggs, acoustic blues/jazz/folk trio The B-Side Growlers and country singer Miko Marks to Nashville indie-folk’s The Arcadian Wild, California folk-rock’s The Brevet and British-bred alt-rock/Americana duo The Ruen Brothers.

“It is always exciting to find new favorites,” said Sundberg, noting it’s the first time since 2005 that there are no returning performers on the main stage at the festival, which received $18,000 in support from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.

One important note: A Michigan State Recreation Passport is required to enter the State Park, and hence, the festival at the park’s Winter Sports Complex.

The festival is one of several late August music celebrations taking place across Michigan this weekend, including Havoc Fest in Jackson, Forest Trail Music Festival in Free Soil, Burning Foot Beer Festival in Muskegon, Return to the River in Grand Rapids and the Tie Dye Festival in Howard City. Get links and details for all of them below.

PORCUPINE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS

WHEN: Friday-Saturday (Aug. 23-24)
WHERE: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (Winter Sports Complex), 36606 Carp Lake Tower Road, Ontonagon 49953
WEBSITE: https://porkiesfestival.org/
THE LINEUP: Miko Marks, The Brevet, Chris Pierce, The Ruen Brothers, The Arcadian Wild, John Nemeth, Bywater Call, Joy Clark, Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers, Stillhouse Junkies, Joyann Parker, Roosevelt Diggs, The B-Side Growlers and more. View the full lineup and schedule online here.
THE DRIVE:
531 miles (8 hours, 34 minutes) from Grand Rapids
583 miles (9 hours, 6 minutes) from Detroit
584 miles (9 hours, 34 minutes) from Kalamazoo
524 miles (8 hours, 16 minutes) from Lansing
411 miles (7 hours, 13 minutes) from Traverse City
TICKETS: Adult two-day passes are $110; children’s passes are $10; children 6 and younger are free. Single-day tickets ($60) available at the gate only. Ticket link here.

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FOREST TRAIL MUSIC FESTIVAL

The fifth Forest Trail Music Festival unfurls this weekend with “camping, community, live music, tie-dye, yoga, craft vendors, food vendors and more,” all on the edge of the Manistee National Forest between Manistee and Ludington and featuring “many Michigan favorites as well as award-winning and nationally touring groups.”

WHEN: Thursday-Sunday (Aug. 22-25)
WHERE: 325 W. Forest Trail Road, Free Soil
WEBSITE: https://www.foresttrailmusic.com/
LINEUP: The Smokin’ Dobroleles, Full Cord, Chirp, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, Whorled, Crosscut Kings, Aaron Wright, Wild Horses, Chloe Kimes, The Fridays and more. Get the full lineup and schedule online here.
TICKETS: $75 general admission weekend passes; $40 daily passes. Ticket link here.

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BURNING FOOT BEER FESTIVAL

Billed as “one of Michigan’s best barefoot craft beer” festivals, the ninth Burning Foot Beer Festival is hosted by the Lakeshore Brewers Guild and features Great Lakes craft brews, local art, food and live music, headlined by Fuel, Sponge and Joe Samba.

WHEN: Saturday (Aug. 24)
WHERE: Pere Marquette Beach, Muskegon
WEBSITE: https://burningfoot.beer/
LINEUP: Fuel, Sponge, Joe Samba, Flexadecibel, Caliko and BTV Dance Party on the main stage, with John Merchant, Medicine Men and Nate Dill on the acoustic stage.
TICKETS: $60 general admission; $150 VIP tickets. Ticket link here.

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RETURN TO THE RIVER FESTIVAL

The free music and art festival hosted by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. returns to park areas along the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids with art installations, aerialists and circus performers, food trucks, walking tours and live music.

The live music offerings even include Opera Grand Rapids’ “Hip Opera” taking place at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Sixth Street Park Stage. Festival performances take place at 555 Monroe Avenue NW, Sixth Street Park and Linear Lounge.

WHEN: Saturday-Sunday (Aug. 24-25)
WHERE: Park areas at 555 Monroe Ave. NW, Sixth Street Park and Linear Lounge in downtown Grand Rapids
WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/events/7413148278763947/7413148298763945/
LINEUP: The Hacky Turtles, Grace Theisen Band, Chmura, pheel., Lipstick Jodi, The Insiders Tom Petty Tribute, Music That Raised Us, Brie Stoner, Banda El Bajio and more. View the full schedule below.
ADMISSION: Free

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TIE DYE FESTIVAL

Setting up this year at a new venue in Howard City’s Burley Park, the Tie Dye Festival proclaims to be “all about good music and good vibes.”

WHEN: Friday-Saturday (Aug. 23-24)
WHERE: Burley Park, 19504 Edgar Rd., Howard City
WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/events/838822741619251/
LINEUP: The Pice Project, Stevie Reidz & Co., Whiskey Bound, Let There Be Rock, Common Molly, Daktal, Lost in Blue, Jesse Ray, Hand of Giants, The Swineharts, Justin Wierenga and many more. Get the full lineup online here.
ADMISSION: Free

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WALK THE BEAT – ALBION

Billed as a “street music festival,” Albion’s edition of Walk the Beat (which began in Grand Haven and has spread to Albion and the White Lake area) features 20 Michigan acts performing at 10 different venues. Through donations to the event, the nonprofit group provides young people with music lessons and instruments.

WHEN: Saturday (Aug. 24)
WHERE: Downtown Albion
WEBSITE: https://walkthebeatalbion.org/
LINEUP: Act Casual, Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues, Attic Bats, The Rory McCallan Project, Exit 51, Benefit the Modern, Coal Train, Passion Fire and more. Get the full lineup and locations for performances online here.
ADMISSION: Free, donations accepted

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HAVOC FEST

This Jackson festival featuring hard rock, punk, alt-rock, hardcore and alt-metal bands from Michigan and beyond features two side-by-side stages, with food trucks and various vendors on hand.

WHEN: Friday-Saturday (Aug. 23-24)
WHERE: Apex Sports & Entertainment, Jackson
WEBSITE: https://apexsportsjxn.com/havoc-fest/
LINEUP: Framing Hanley, Rivals, Mafia Birdhouse, Blacknote Graffiti, Riding With Killers, The Almas (Friday); Kittie, Cold, Conquer Divide, Smile Empty Soul, Heartsick, Softspoken, Life Right Now, Let It Rot, In Our Wake, Dead Cassette, Ghosts in Motion, Distant Descend, Absolute, Accuser of the Brethren (Saturday)
TICKETS: $24.63-$48.25 general admission weekend; $22 Friday single-day. Ticket link online here.

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